Youth Olympic Games  Day 8 Update

Success at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore is far from measured solely by the colour of the medals  and thats the way IOC President Jacques Rogge likes it.The experience  both on and off the field of play  is the key component in aspiring athletes to understand what the Olympics are all about and what it takes to succeed on the sports most revered platform. Today was one of those days for New Zealand athletes in competition in cycling, athletics, showjumping, table tennis, basketball and judo. The most notable was Central Otago mountain biker Kate McDonald who in this combined team competition had to turn her hand to BMX and road cycling for the first time. She acquitted herself well in BMX making it through to the semifinals in her first ever competition and did even better today to finish fourth in the road race time trial on her mountain bike. Taranakis Denay Cottam finished in the peloton in the mens 48km road race and this coupled with McDonalds efforts saw the kiwi team 20th overall. This has been an absolute eye-opener, said BMX coach Tony Takarua. I am sure some of the sporting bodies will tweak with the formats but overall I think that countries that do not come here in full force and sports in New Zealand who do not take a serious look at this are missing out on an incredible experience. Auckland table tennis player Kevin Wong managed two wins in his campaign, bowing out in the second stage today and is undaunted in his quest. I want to be the best table tennis player in the world. I k now from this that I have to go away and continue to work really hard, Wu said. I have spent three months training in China this year. There is so much competition there and the training is much harder and better for me. I had two good games here but made too many mistakes. He links up with team-mate Julia Wu for the team competition, with Julia also bowing out today with two losses. Kaikoura 17 year old Hayley Baxter was the only female judoka from Oceania in the Youth Olympics, winning one of her three bouts in the 623kg class. The basketball team will take on Egypt for 13th place tomorrow after beating Central African Coast 29-21 today after trailling 14-15 at the break. They forced the Africans to shoot from the perimeter in the second stanza where they managed just two from 11 while the kiwis found their shooting straps today making 40 per cent from the field. They were led by a game-high 10 points from Michael Karena. Jake Lambert was all smiles with his silver medal in the show jumping team competition two days ago, but today was a different story when his rein got caught under his stirrup after his mount, Le Lucky got spooked. Forced to ride with only one hand on the rein, the Cambridge rider did extraordinarily well to onlym drop three fences. it could have been a complete disaster riding without a hand on one of the reins. We eve managed to get over the treble. Its disappointing because I would have liked another medal but that is sport. Lambert is in 23rd place with 10 riders going clear. Anna-Lisa Uttley (Tauranga) led the way on the track with second place in the B final of the 3000m with Hamiltons Mohamed Ali sixth in the boys race, Wanganuis Brad Mathas eighth in the 1000m B final and Nelsons Hazel Bowering-Scott fifth in the 200m. The big chances are still to come with Commonwealth Games bound boxer Joseph Parker in the semifinal of the super heavyweight class tonight (NZ time, world junior champion Jackson Gill in the final of the shot put and the junior girls hockey team in a virtual semifinal against unbeaten Argentina. Results: Cycling, 2.3km womens time trial: Linda Indergand (SUI) 3:18.00, 1; Karolina Lalasova (CZE) 3:23.87, 2; Ingrid Crexel (MEX) 3:25.37, 3. Also: Kate McDonald (NZL) 3:28.24, 4. Mens road race, 48km: Boris Vallee (BEL) 1:05.42, 1; Rafael Ferreira Reis (POR) 1:05.44, 2; Nocolas Marini (ITA) same time, 3. Also: Denay Cottam (NZL) same time, 18; Sam Shaw (NZL) dnf. Final team placings after seven events: Colombia 154 points, 1; Italy 171, 2; Netherlands 191, 3. Also: New Zealand 310, 20. Basketball, elimination round: New Zealand 29 (Michael Karena 10, James Ashby 8, Ben Fraser 7, Reuben Te Rangi 4) Central African Coast 21. Halftime 14-15. Equestrian, individual showjumping, round 1: Uruguay, Australia, Egypt, Kazachstan, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Poland, Colombia, 0 total. Also: Jake Lambert (NZL), Le Lucky) 12 penalties, 23. Athletics, B finals: 3000m: Jacqueline Murekatete (RWA) 9:55.83, 1; Anna-Lisa Uttley (NZL) 10:07.63, 2; Devote Inamahoro (BDI) 10:15.49, 3. 3000m: Adam Abdelmunain (SUD) 8:27.19, 1; Zabulon Ndikumana (BDI) 8:28.76, 2; Amin Cheniti (ALG) 8:32.85, 3. Also: Mohamed Ali (NZL) 9:01.03, 6. 1000m: Patrick Nibafasha (BDI)2:27.16, 1; Rick Whithead (AUS) 2:27.20, 2; Indunil Herath (SRI) 2:27.57, 3. Also: Brad Mathas (NZL) 2:34.47, 8 (PB). 200m: Shavonne Husbands (BAR) 24.58, 1; Lucy Fortune (GRN) 24.63, 2; Ekaterina Rehzhina (RUS) 24.70, 3. Also: Hazel Bowering-Scott (NZL) 25.35, 5. Table tennis, second stage: Julia Wu (NZL) lost to Nuwani Vithanage (SRI) 3-0 (7-11, 8-11, 8-11); lost to Alex Galic (SLO) 2-11 5-11 7-11. Kevin Wu (NZL) lost to Tanapol Santiwattanatarm (THA) 3-0 (8-11, 8-11, 8-11); lost to Florian Wagner (GER) 7-11 4-11 11-6 9-11. Judo, 63kg, round 2: Hayley Baxter (NZL) lost to Laura Naginskaite (LTU) by ippon (52 sec). Repechage: Baxter beat to Djamila Larounga (TOG) by ippon (9 sec); list to Caren Chammas (LIB) by ippon. CAPTION: Kate McDonald (Clyde) races to the finish on her mountain bike to finish fourth in the road time trial. credit: SPH-SYDGOG